At Countryside Covenant Church, we are Growing in the Grace and
the Truth of Our Lord Jesus Christ ...
encountering God through His Word and worship,
strengthening families through intentional relationships,
building disciples by investing in others and
serving together with our spiritual gifts.
COUNTRYSIDE COVENANT CHURCH
940 E. NORTHVIEW ROAD,MCPHERSON KS 67460
PO BOX 765,MCPHERSON KS 67460
THE PULSE OF COUNTRYSIDE
Rejoice in the Lord Always
I woke up this morning thinking:
“This is going to be a long, stressful
day. Here we go.” But before my
feet hit the ground, he brought to
mind ...“Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2. I realized I had some
stinkin’ thinkin’ going on.
The Spirit of God next brought
these passages to my attention:
“This is the day the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm
118:25. And “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” Philippians 4:4
VOLUME 15, ISSUE 5
May 2016
- Pastor Jon Black
We would all love
to experience more
joy in life. But sometimes we need help
in the ‘rejoicing’
department. It can
be challenging to
know how to rejoice
in the Lord.
The book of Psalms offers us a
wonderful language for our
prayers and praise. And of course,
we can always turn on praise
music and sing along.
I wondered: How am I able to rejoice
when I’m feeling anxious about the day
ahead? God reminded me that rejoicing is a deliberate choice. If I
want to experience more joy in my
life, I must first learn to rejoice.
Paul and Silas rejoiced by singing
hymns to God while they were
chained in a prison cell. They did
not rejoice in their situation … they
rejoiced in the Lord. They recognized that God was still in control.
And the Lord met them right in the
middle of their predicament which
resulted in a renewal of their thinking and direction.
I don’t mean to be too simplistic,
but rejoicing in the Lord can offer
us a renewed perspective in life and
set us on a new pathway toward
more joy and freedom.
SUMMER WORSHIP SCHEDULE TO BEGIN SUNDAY, MAY 29
Worship Service at 9:30 a.m. followed by Fellowship Time
No Christian Formation Classes
V O LUPAGE
M E 125 , ISS U E 5
T H E PU L SE OF CO UN T RY S ID E
Please provide the Church
Office with the name (s) of
those graduating in your
family this school year … 8th
grade, high school or college
no later than May 20. We
will compile a list and then
print it in the June issue of
The Pulse! Thanks!
Outreach McPherson is a volunteer outreach of the
Free Methodist Church that provides furniture and
appliances to individuals and families in need. They
rely on donations of used furniture and appliances,
and need the entire community to be aware of the
need for basic furniture like couches, recliners, end/
coffee tables and chairs and beds. Tax donation receipts can be provided to donors. A dedicated phone
line for Outreach McPherson is 241.7179. Volunteers
rotate the duties of taking calls and collecting and delivering furniture.
April 2016 Attendance
April 3
April 10
April 17
April 24
Y - to - D
Christian
Formation
Worship
168
204
191
171
197
509
507
455
473
479
Thank You
“I want to say a huge THANK YOU for all the
prayers, calls, cards and thoughtfulness
given to me and my family during my
recent illness and hospitalization. Pastor
Jon’s calls were much appreciated, as well
as the great meals from Totman’s small
group and Lori Crown. God blessed us in
innumerable ways during this time and
part of that was you!”
Brenda Boswell
From Mt. Hope Sanctuary: We want to take a moment to thank everyone for making our Spring Taco
Tuesday a success! Whether you came to eat, volunteered or baked, we appreciate you. Mt. Hope Sanctuary exists because of all of you. And praise the Lord
for keeping the bad weather at bay! See you at the next
Taco Tuesday in September!
From Tina Price, Pregnancy Service Center, Salina …
I’m so excited and humbled to announce that Countryside Covenant Church raised $2,163.18 during the
Change for Life baby fundraiser!! Thank you so much
for allowing us the opportunity to share. And … we are
getting closer to coming to McPherson! Right now we
are pursuing opening a full-time brick and mortar center in Junction City which will free up the mobile to
come to McPherson. Hope to be there this summer!
Please keep praying for us!
April 2016 Giving
April 3
April 10
April 17
April 24
$19,040.00
21,944.23
15,634.43
12,701.23
Total Y-to-D
$326,524.75
Giving vs Expenses Y-t0-D
-$1,663.41
Mortgage Reduction Y-t0-D
$20,525.00
If it is your desire to help reduce our mortgage,
you may designate your gift by writing
“mortgage reduction” on your check.
Sunday, May 8
VOLUME 15, ISSUE 5
Women Ministries
PAGE 3
•
Men Who Sing! Sunday, May
29, men are invited to join together to sing as an ensemble
at our worship service. Under
the direction of Tom Stinemetze, the group will have a
couple of rehearsals in the
weeks beforehand. If interested, contact Tom, 241.6460, or Lynn Black,
755.7585, and watch the bulletin and newsletter
for a rehearsal schedule.
•
The Men’s Softball Team has created a fundraiser to help buy equipment and help with
their league fee for this season. You can purchase a shirt that Aaron
Roberts has designed. To
place an order for the t-shirt,
please write t-shirt on your
Response Card along with
the size you want to order.
The shirts will be $18 each. Contact Aaron at
620.755.4506 if you have any questions.
•
Our summer schedule with one worship service gives us opportunity to gather after worship for a time of fellowship and food. Donuts,
muffins, cookies, juice and
coffee make our time to visit
together extra special.
Be sure to put the dates of May 7 and 21 on
your calendar to join other women at The
Well for a time of fellowship and encouragement. They meet at 9 a.m. and would
welcome you too!
Bible Studies … It’s with much excitement that we announce that Bible studies will happen this summer …
one at 1:00 p.m. during KidsGig for the older kids and
the second study will be offered at 6:30 p.m. on
Wednesdays. Both will begin June 15. Watch for details
regarding the topic.
Upcoming Events:
May - Quilt and Silent Auction … The ladies of
Sew & Share, Etc. have donated three beautiful
quilts that will be auctioned off
as well as other items and baskets that have been donated!
Items will be on display for our
church family to bid on. Funds
raised will help promote various
outreach projects of Women Ministries.
June 4 - “Count Your Blessings” Brunch! You are
invited to this special event that will feature a continental breakfast, special music, creating a Blessings Box and ways to know God is at work in your
life. We’d love for you to bring a friend along too.
Please RSVP to 241.4499 or to [email protected].
July 28 - 31 - Triennial (the CHIC version for
women) comes to Kansas City, July 28-31, 2016.
Register today at www.covchurch.org/triennial/.
September 11 - Annual Spaghetti Fundraiser Dinner, 12 Noon
Sept. 30 - Oct. 2 - Women’s Fall Retreat, Rock
Springs Ranch. Featuring a restful, uplifting weekend filled with great friends and a relaxing atmosphere, you’ll enjoy four sessions of worship with
special guest Tara Rye. Her focus for the weekend
will be times when Jesus stopped and prayed.
Registration brochures are available online at
ww.womenminretreat.wix.com/kansas or at our
Information Center.
Would you be willing to work
with another person or two for
one Sunday this summer to host this important
fellowship time? Each team would be given a
small budget to work with, and would be asked
to shop, set up and clean up for one morning.
If you would be willing to support this ministry with your time and gifts, please contact the
Church Office.
8
August 26-2 s
a
d
Ce r
Covenant
PAGE 4
THE PULSE OF COUNTRYSIDE
MAY YOUTH SCHEDULE
4
Leaders Night Out! This is a great time to get away and have
some fun with all of our AWESOME Leaders!
11
NO EDGE (Middle School)
NO IGNITE (High School)
18
6:30pm EDGE EXAM CRAM! (Middle School)
8:00pm IGNITE EXAM CRAM! (High School)
22
Graduation Sunday! (Services: 8am, 10:35am)
Christian Formation Celebration Sunday! (9:30am)
25
6:30pm 5th Grade/EDGE Parent Meeting (We will have games in the gym for the kids!)
8:00pm 8th Grade/IGNITE Parent Meeting (We will have games in the gym for the kids!)
CRAM!
Remember too to register for summer camp!
You’ll find registration forms at cedars.org.
Camp dates are July 3-8 (Junior High Camp) and
July 10-15 (High School Camp).
Life Lessons
Late-night comedian Stephen Colbert, a practicing Catholic who teaches Sunday school, faced
tragedy at age 10 when his father and two of his
brothers died in a plane crash. As Colbert told
The New York Times, his mom helped him avoid
bitterness about the loss:
“She taught me to be grateful for my life regardless of what that entailed, and that’s directly
related to the image of Christ on the cross and
the example of sacrifice that he gave us. What
she taught me is that the deliverance God offers
you from pain is not no pain; it’s that the pain is
actually a gift. What’s the option? God doesn’t
really give you another choice.”
Thursday, May 5 - 12 Noon
First Christian Church, 101 S. Walnut
Church Life Update
Confirmands:
Makayla Beguila, Taylor
Boesker, Daniel Lambertus, Aly Soukup,
Lane Thompson and Jalyn Whorton.
VOLUME 15, ISSUE 4
PAGE 5
June 13-16 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
(Ages 4 yrs. - Kindergarten)
Begins Wednesday, June 15th 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
(1st - 5th Grade)
Register online at www.csidecov.org
“Upcoming Events”
KidsGig 2016:
Prepare to embark on an adventure like no other,
scouring the mysterious fathoms of the deep sea.
Thrilling discoveries await just beyond the portholes of your submarine. Things look very different once you get below the surface - and that’s
true for life above the surface, too. As kids submerge themselves in God’s Word, they will discover that Jesus saw people differently. He didn’t
just see what’s on the outside; He saw who people
were down deep.
As kids learn to see themselves and others
as Jesus sees them, they can realize that everyone needs a Savior - even those who look
like they have it all together. A relationship
with Jesus Christ changes everything! All
you have to do is dive in!
If you’d like to volunteer with KidsGig this summer or hear about any of the staff positions listed
below, please contact Emily in the Church Office.
Preschool Options:
Craft Leader
Bible Room Storyteller
Small Group Leaders
Missions Leader
Game Leader
Snack Leader
Registration Table
Elementary Options:
Opening Skit
Music Leader
Craft Leader
Bible Room Storyteller
Small Group Leaders
Missions Leader
Game Leader
Snack Leader
Registration Table
There is also a need for volunteers to serve in the
nursery.
V O LU M E 1 5 , ISS U E 5
PAGE 6
Coming This June!!
Sign up now to be a TruFamily and
continue the Big God Story at home
throughout the summer. To sign up
write TruFamily on your response card
on a Sunday morning or email Emily
at [email protected].
You’ll be provided with
a summer Bible reading plan, discussion
questions, and hands-on
activities that will help
you dive deeper in God’s
Word together as a family.
CAMP DATES …
July 5-8 - all ages
Rock Springs Ranch
Here’s a blessing for the
month of May …
Bless
(Child’s name), may you see
God’s faithful hand embrace
yours as you walk through
your days. May your heart
sense His nearness, and in the
days where He might feel far
or distant, may you embrace
the truth that He is always
with you—in every step of life,
behind you and before you.
May your story be filled with
praise and joy at His faithfulness as you walk with Him,
and we pray you will embrace
the story that God has so excitedly mapped out for you.
Registration forms
are available at our
Information Center.
There is power in telling stories! As
parents, sharing our stories can inspire,
guide, and allow us to emotionally
connect with our children; we can give
insight into what’s to come and build
faith in our listeners as they hear
about God’s faithfulness. Whether
your story is full of pain or joy, or
a mixture of both, it’s important—
the good and the bad give others
an opportunity to see God’s care for
each one of us and how He works in
our lives. This issue of HomeFront
emphasizes the importance of telling
our stories and gives us tools on how
to begin!
Be sure to grab a copy of this month’s
magazine in the hallway!
A special thank you to those
who have served as Children’s Ministry volunteers
during the 2015-2016 school
year. We appreciate each
and everyone of you! Thanks
so much for a great year!
The last morning
of Christian Formation is Sunday,
May 22. Kidz
Towne leaders and
nursery workers
are invited to pop
into Room 13 that
morning before or
after the 9:30 hour
for some breakfast
treats.
PAGE 6
Leadership Team Update
Loveland Colorado, here we come! A week ago, Erin and I
attended the 130th Annual Ministry Celebration of the Midwest Conference at Crossroads Covenant Church. It was
truly a wonderful two days of prayer, worship, learning, and
celebration of the various ministries across the 97 churches
and fellowship groups in six states.
The mission statement of the Midwest Conference
(www.midwestcovenant.org) is: Churches working together
to transform lives and communities by starting new
churches, strengthening existing churches, and developing
missional leaders.
During our time of celebration, one of the major themes
that resonated with both Erin and I was “ministry in community”. In other words, it was/is the church reaching outside of the four walls and investing a significant amount of
time and energy into the larger community in which they
live.
A statement I heard from our Superintendent, Tammy
Swanson-Draheim, “The church does not exist to care only
for ourselves…old or new, big or small…we exist for others.” We exist for others! Certainly this is not a new or radical idea, but the stories of victory we heard from various
churches demonstrated that the “basics” still do reach lives
for Christ.
We also learned about and prayed for the five newest
churches to join the Midwest Conference over the last 18
months. (Faith Connection in Washington, Kansas; Pan y
Vino in Prairie Village, Kansas; Inversion Community in
Highlands Ranch, Colorado; Ascent Community in Louisville, Colorado; and Aurora Community in Aurora, Colorado.) It was exciting to hear how God is at work in these
communities and how lives are being transformed by the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. The messages we heard are simply
too powerful to put into words!
In sticking with the church planting theme, we also heard
reports on the four churches currently in development.
These churches will continue to work on their new church
development plan; including gathering “launch teams” of
30+ adults and finalizing supporting church partnerships
and funding. These new churches are looking to be formed
in Manhattan, KS; Lawrence, KS; Erie, CO; and Omaha,
NE.
THE PULSE OF COUNTRYSIDE
Finally, it would not be a church meeting without doing a
little bit of business. We reviewed and approved the budget
for the Midwest Conference as well as formally elected
“officers” for the Conference Executive Board as well as
the Bible Camp Boards. (Covenant Cedars, Twin Lakes, and
Covenant Heights.) We also recognized and celebrated with
seven ordinands from the Midwest Conference who will be
recommended for ordination at the annual Evangelical
Covenant Church meeting in Phoenix, Arizona this June. A
familiar face to Countryside on the list of ordinands included Jim Eaton!
Each year, Countryside gives a monetary gift to the Midwest
Conference. Have you ever wondered what that went towards? Well, I can personally tell you that these funds are
not only being put to good use, but that significant and
fruitful ministry is being carried out all across our Conference.
Back at home, the Leadership Team continues to work on
long-term visioning for the church. In addition, we are excited to announce that Connor Gibson will be joining us
again this summer as a Worship Intern. Internships are a
great way for us to invest into the lives of our young people
as they develop skills and obtain work experience in their
field of study. The details have not all been worked out yet,
but we expect Connor to arrive in late May and stay with us
until early August. In addition, the Leadership Team continues to pray about and review our overall staffing needs.
As a reminder, there are no secrets on Leadership Team.
Many of our meetings simply consist of brainstorming and
idea generation…who knows which idea will “take off”?!?!
Occasionally, speaking of our last meeting, we meet for a
few hours only to come out on the other end more confused than when we started. (Believe it or not, we do get
things accomplished most of the time!) If you ever have any
questions or comments about how things are going, please
reach out. The Leadership Team includes: Kristen Houston,
Larry Swenson, Darrell Harper, Ronald Hamilton, Michelle
Logback, Sharon Stinemetze, James Anderson, and myself.
Blessings, Tony Wedel
Nonprofit
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McPherson KS
Countryside Covenant Church
940 E. Northview Road,
PO Box 765,
McPherson KS 67460
Countryside Covenant Church is a body of believers with a heart for Jesus Christ.
This Month at Countryside
Worship Services at 8 & 10:35 a.m. on Sundays
Christian Formation Classes for all ages at 9:30 a.m.
MAY EVENTS
3, 10, 17, 24, 31 Celebrate Recovery
7 & 21
Women’s Coffee Connection, The Well
8
Mother’s Day
10
MOPS
13
All School’s Day—Office Closed
17
Leadership Team
23
Sew & Share, etc.
25
New 6th Grade Orientation and High
School Orientation (Students and
Parents)
30
Memorial Day—Office Closed
Countryside Staff
Jon Black, Senior Pastor
Austin Penn, Director of
Student Ministries
Lynn Black, Interim Worship Arts Director
Emily Lind, Director of Children Ministries
Linda Totman, Church Administrator
Kim Goering, Office Assistant
Kristi Monroe, Office Assistant